Search Results: getting let down

I'm going to share my experience with bullies. In 7th grade, some boy was getting bullied constantly. When I had a chance we spent time at the library or during some lunch breaks. One day, some bullies (total jerks) accidentally saw as walking on the hallways and holding hands. I invented a lie about pretending to be his friend (while winking at him), how this was a prank and said something like ''me friends with him, nope, no way''.

The poor kid didn't understand why I was winking at him and really thought I was on the bullies' side. When they finally left, I told him that we can't be seen by them; that if they see us I'm going to get bullied for the rest of the school year too... that I'm still his friend but it has to be done in private, hence why I was winking at him.

For the very first time he actually got upset:
I don't want a private friend. Why can't you be my friend in front of everyone? I can't have a friend like that. What you're doing is supporting their actions and that makes you just as bad as them. Do the right thing now, even if it means going down. I'll go down with you and be on your side.

I let them caught us next time. As predicted now it wasn't just him getting bullied but me too. Eventually we both reported it. It stopped after a while but it was a bad school year.